# Battle of Britain (1940)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1940-battle-of-britain
Categories: battle, main-event

The Royal Air Force resisted the German Luftwaffe's attempt to gain air superiority. Within the broader Early 20th Century & World Wars period, mass democracy, the two world wars, Irish partition, economic crisis and the rise of Labour remade the political and social order. This event is placed at July–October 1940 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The victory prevented invasion and became one of Britain's defining wartime achievements.

## Why it matters
The victory prevented invasion and became one of Britain's defining wartime achievements.

Ruler at the time: [George VI](https://english-history.com/rulers/george-vi)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Battle of Britain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Battle+of+Britain&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Britain](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Britain)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history)
- [The National Archives — twentieth-century resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)